When a baker first starts out on their journey and dream of opening a bakery, they can only hope to one day find themselves in a situation where they have outgrown their current space. Whether your bakery operates out of your home, or you rented a small space to get your business up and running, a successful bakery will eventually outgrow its current space and Empire Bakery Equipment has some helpful information to assist with your bakery’s growth process.

Making the move to a larger bakery space is both an exciting and stressful time. Proper planning is the key to a successful expansion. The first thing you should do is have a clear idea of the volume you expect to produce so you can plan for the equipment and space you will need. The experienced professionals at Empire Bakery Equipment can help calculate the equipment your new space will need in order to keep up with production efficiently.

Once you have an idea of the volume increase your bakery is expecting, it is time to secure a new location. Make sure you choose a space that will fit the equipment you need to ramp up production. Empire’s team of experts will help you plan your new layout to optimize energy efficiency, identify labor saving opportunities and maximize your profitability.

Picture 001You have your layout and know the type of equipment that best works for your space and your production needs. Now it’s time to select the equipment that can get the job done. Whether you need a mixer like Empire’s IRIS Spiral Dough Kneader, with a dough capacity of up to 300lbs of dough, or a deck oven like Empire’s LFKR Artisan Bread Deck Oven, which can produce up to 400 loaves of artisan breads per bake, our experienced experts will make sure you have the right equipment in the right place.

As a firm transition date approaches, it is time to notify your customers. Whether you are opening a new location or simply a second location, your customers have supported you through your journey and will continue to show support in your new endeavors. The best way to spread the word is to verbally tell customers when you see them in your current location, put up signage in your bakery, post a notice up on your website where it is easily visible and make a series of social media posts to inform everyone of the move. This will help create an easier transition and avoid customers looking around for you and not being able to find you!

Now you are ready for opening day! You have taken all of the steps to ensure you are well equipped for success, so now what? If you are a retail bakery, we strongly suggest having an opening day promotion or giveaway that will drive foot traffic to your new location. For wholesale bakeries, try having an “open house” where you can invite the customers to see your new facility and proudly display how much your business has grown with their support.

Moving into a bigger bakery space is a stressful time, however planning ahead and investing in some bakery equipment for increased production will help you and your bakery get ahead and STAY ahead so that you can focus on creating the delicious products your customers know and love!